Motor-driven portable buffer



March 29, 1-949. T. H .10855 2,465,807

MOTOR-DRIVEN PORTABLE BUFFER Filed April 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 8 Inventor U- 3 Thomas H. Jones y D i WW /53%,

March 29, 1949. JONES 2,465,807

' MOTOR-DRIVEN PORTABLE BUFFER Filed April 15, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Thomas H. Jones By Emm Patented Mar. 29, 1949 MOTOR-DRIVEN PORTABLE BUFFER Thomas H. Jones, Chicago, Ill., assignor of onethird to William Saunders and one-third to Robert E. Jones, Sr., both of Chicago, Ill.

Application April 15, 1947, Serial No. 741,437

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to buffing machines, and more particularly to a hand buffer, that is, a small light weight motor-driven buffer, in which the bufiing action is reciprocatory rather than rotary.

It is well understood that bufiing machines of many types have been developed and used and that provision of a motor to actuate the buffer head is not new. Therefore, it is not sought to protect such a structure broadly, but what is sought to be protected by Letters Patent includes the hereinafter described refinements and simplification of structure relating to hand buffers, whereby a device of this nature is particularly adapted for certain uses.

An object of this invention is to provide a hand buffer in which the buffing action is reciprocatory and particularly well adapted for rubbing out automobile finishes, especially on repaired bodies and fenders, a relatively long stroke reciprocatory motion having been found to be very effective in this work.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand buffer in which the buffing medium, that is, the felt or emery cloth or other such material, may be conveniently and quickly changed.

t is another object of this inventionto provide a means for reciprocating a buffer head, under manually applied pressure, applied largely by one hand, while the other hand is used to steady the machine, the frame of the machine bein elongated in the direction of the reciprocatory motion of the head and the whole being designed with a view to the more accurate control of the buffing machine.

And a last object to be specifically mentioned is to provide a device of this character which is relatively inexpensive and practicable to manufacture, simple to use, and which will give generally efficient and durable service.

With these and other objects definitely in view, this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this application, and in which:

Figure 1 is a three dimensional view of the buffer, the figure being adapted to show how the buffer is used by the operator;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the assembled buffer, the view being taken substantially on a center line of the buifer and the motor casing being shown in elevation;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device, taken on the line 3-3 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line i4 in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 2, the upper disk of the crank and the portion of the cross head being broken away to show underlying structure, in elevation, to facilitate the disclosure of this invention; and

Figure 6 is a grouped view showing the several elements of the buffer head expanded.

Similar characters of reference designate similar or identical parts and portions throughout the specification and throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be noted that the invention includes an elongated frame lll which may be of streamlined form and tapered slightly toward the front, that is, the buffer head end, of the frame.

On the upper side of this frame and at each end thereof, there are provided the handles l2 and H! adapted to be grasped by the operator in the normal use of the machine, the handle I l being used to steady the device, while the handle i2 is used to guide the device and to also apply the desired amount of pressure on the reciprocating head, generally indicated by the numeral i6.

- The frame is provided with an upper cover plate 18, removably secured to the frame by screws 2|], and an electric motor is mounted in a suitable casing 22 secured to this cover plate 18, this electric motor being not shown in the drawings but indicated inferentially by the electric lead 24 and the power output shaft 28 which is shown suitably bushed as at 28, in Figure 2. A switch to control this motor is conveniently located as at 30 and a gear wheel 32 is secured as by a set screw to the output shaft 26.

A double disced crank, indicated at 34 is provided with stub shafts 36 and 38, which shafts are terminally mounted in simple bearings 42! mounted in upset portions l2 in the bottom portion of the frame it) and cover plate l8, which latter is preferably formed with a substantially flat plate member M integral with the upper portion of the cover plate. This construction provides rigid bearing supports for the lower and upper ends of the said stub shafts. For easy disassembly. the double disced crank 3a is secured to the stub shafts by set screws 46 and a gear 48 is secured to the upper end of the shaft 38 in a similar manner and arranged to engage the gear 32, thus providing for the turning of the discs 34. It is preferred that the gear 48 will be slightly larger than the gear 32 in order that a slight reduction in speed may be obtained, although it is understood that this invention will operate satisfactorily when the buffer I6 is made to reciprocate at a fairly high rate.

A pin 58 is secured to the discs 34, bridging the same and this pin is journaled within one end of the pitman 52. The other end of the pitman 52 is secured to the cross head 54, within the trans- Versely disposed slot 56 in the end thereof, by means of the pin 58. The cross head 54 is adapted to reciprocate within the slot 68 formed in the frame casing l0, and bounded in part by the undersurface of the forward end of the cover member I8, as best illustrated in Figure 2. This slot 68 is continued rearward to communicate with the chamber 94 in which the above described double disoed crank 34 and the gear wheels are housed, and the slot 68 also communicates with the vertical slot 86, depending therefrom and opening on the underside of the frame casing 18, to accommodate the vertical shank member 68 used to mount the buffer head I6. It will be understood that the cross head 54 has a con siderable width and length in order that ample support be provided for the buffer head, suitable anti-friction devices being incorporated in this cross head 54, according to individual preference.

The shank member 68 is secured at its lower end to the upstanding sleeve collar 10, by means of a set screw '12. The sleeve collar '18 is integrally secured on the upper surface of the block member 74 comprising the principal element oi the buffer head IS. The block i4 is fiat on the underside thereof, with rounded front and rear edges and two transversely disposed grooves on the upper surface near said edges, as represented at 15. A rectangular section of felt, or other buffing material, represented at 18, will be secured on the underside of this block 14, with the edges 88 thereof overlapping the said edges and said grooves 16, and a plate 82 is provided to clamp the sheet 78 in this position. The plate 82 is provided with marginally disposed beads 84 configured to correspond with and fit the grooves 16, so that the ends 88 of the sheet 18 can be firmly bound between the block 18 and this plate 82. Means for retaining the plate 82 on the block 14 include two threaded studs 86, secured on the upper side of the block 14 and adapted to pass through apertures 88 provided therefor in the plate 82, the thumb nuts 98 being screwed on to these threaded studs 86 to retain the several elements of this buffer head in assembled relationship.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from a consideration of the foregoing description of the mechanical details thereof but, in recapitulation, it may be noted that the felt or sheet or abrasive material 78 is very easily replaced, and that the hand on the rear handle M will normally be used to guide the bufier while the hand on the handle I2 will be used to supply the greater part of the pressure on the buffer head I6, the motor bein controlled by a flick of the thumb of the hand applied to the handle l4.

Many and various minor modifications of a useful nature may be made in this invention without departure from the spirit and scope thereof, and though there has been shown a particular embodiment of this invention, this application is not limited to this particular embodiment, but it is desired to include in the scope of this invention the construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A buffer comprising a movable frame having a removable upper section and a lower section, a motor mounted on said upper section, a buffer head slidably mounted on the underside of said lower section, said motor having a crank and a pitman, a cross-head slidably mounted in said frame, said crank comprising two discs with said pitman secured at one end to a pin secured to and bridging said discs, and secured at the other end to said cross-head, a shank member connecting said buffer head to said cross-head, and said lower section having a slot to receive said shank member.

2. A buffer comprising a movable frame having a removable upper section and a lower section, a motor mounted on said upper section, a buffer head slidably mounted on the underside of said lower section, said motor having a crank and a pitman, a cross-head slidably mounted in said frame, said crank comprising two discs with said pitman secured at one end to a pin secured to and bridging said last discs and secured at the other end to said cross-head, a shank member connecting said buffer head to said cross-head, and said lower section havin a slot to receive said shank member, said lower section having a bearing into which one end of the crank may be pressed when the buffer is assembled and said buffer head being removable from said shank member allowing quick disassembly.

THOMAS H. JONES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

